


Strangers in a Strange Land

by Kitsune_Moonstar



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-31
Updated: 2013-03-31
Packaged: 2017-12-07 02:55:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 11,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/743366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Moonstar/pseuds/Kitsune_Moonstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When an alchemy experiment goes awry, Roy and Riza find themselves in an odd situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One Little Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own FMA, Harry Potter, or their characters. This is AU and set during the fifth book.

**One Little Mistake**

This was a bad idea. Riza didn't need to be an alchemist to know that. Unfortunately, the colonel was under orders to carry out this experiment, and there wasn't much they could do about it except take all precautions possible. Mustang hadn't wanted her here, but she had insisted. She knew enough about alchemy to be at least some help if things went wrong, and Riza wasn't about to let him face danger on his own.

From her understanding, the Fuhrur wanted Mustang to test the possibility of creating alchemic portals for transportation. She wasn't sure why the colonel had been picked for this particular task, it wasn't his area of expertise at all, but orders were orders. Mustang had spent the last two months researching the subject, and now the moment of truth was upon them.

They had set up the array in an empty warehouse. Mustang hadn't wanted to endanger anyone else with the experiments, and it gave them plenty of space in case something did happen. The morning had been spent carefully chalking the arrays onto the floor, and now came the tricky part.

"I want you at least five feet away from the array, Hawkeye. I'd ask you to wait outside, but I know you'd refuse." Mustang sighed. "I honestly don't know what is going to happen."

Riza nodded and took up her position. Mustang knelt beside the array and activated it. She found herself shivering as the lines of chalk began to glow. The floor beneath the array faded away leaving the glowing array. Mustang looked back at her before tentatively prodding the edge of array. His finger disappeared. Riza checked the second array, what was supposed to be the other end of the portal. No finger poked out of it. In fact, the chalk lines of that array looked just the same as they had when he's drawn them.

"Sir," she started only to bite her lip as his arm also went into the array.

He turned his head towards her. "It's like a vacuum. It's won't let my arm out. I want you to go and get Armstrong."

"Armstrong is currently visiting his aunt in West City. I'm not leaving you, sir."

Mustang sighed, his shoulders slumping, at least the one she could see. "It's pulling me in, Hawkeye. I want you out of here."

She found herself crossing the room to his side, taking his free arm in both his hands. This close to the array she could feel its pull. "I told you I'm not leaving."

His free arm pulled her closer. "I'm sorry."

She was about to ask him what for when cold invaded her limbs, and she found her hands disappearing. Closing her eyes, Riza gritted her teeth against the cold and closed her eyes. It was the last thing she would remember.


	2. Foggy

**Foggy**

She was still cold. Riza felt for her guns as she opened her eyes. Things were grey and misty. She rolled herself to her feet, checking their surroundings for any threats. Mustang was still unconscious on the ground next to the spot where she had been. They appeared to be in a damp alley off a main road. There was no one around unless the rats investigating the trash cans counted.

Riza knelt beside her colonel. "Sir, wake up."

Mustang groaned. She shook his shoulder. They couldn't afford to be caught off guard. She didn't know where they were or if there were any enemies near by. It wasn't an alley she recognized, but that didn't mean anything. The portal Mustang had been working on was supposed to transfer things across a room. Given that this was not the warehouse the alchemic arrays had been set up in, Riza was fairly certain that things had gone wrong some where.

"Hawkeye?" A pair of dark eyes blinked up at her. "Where are we?"

"I don't know, sir. Do you have any idea where the portal could have dumped us?"

He frowned, sitting up. "It was just supposed to move an object across the room. It wasn't supposed suck us in to it or go anywhere outside the warehouse."

"Then we have a problem, sir."

Peering at their surrounds, Mustang nodded. "You're right. We need to find out where we are."

They warily headed out onto the street, looking for anything that would tell them where they had landed. Finally, the two of them ventured into a store.

"Excuse me," Mustang smiled at the clerk. "We're a little lost. Do you have a map?"

The girl beamed at him. "Of course, sir."

She produced a brightly colored map with the words: London, England blazoned across the top. Mustang thanked her, and they headed outside to study the map. Nothing on the map seemed familiar. With a sigh, Mustang handed her the map.

"I honestly have no idea where we are. I think our best bet is to go back to the alley and see if the original array left any traces behind." He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know what else we can do at this point."

She nodded, and they headed back down the foggy street.


	3. Oil and Water

**Oil and Water**

Riza was beginning to get concerned. Her colonel had spent the last three hours studying every inch of the alley they had arrived in. She wasn't sure what he had come up with so far, but unless he had found a way to get them back, they were going to have to find some place to spend the night. And that posed a number of problems that she really didn't want to face.

"I'm not sure I can do anything without more research, Hawkeye. There are barely any traces of the array here, and I'm not sure what went wrong with it in the first place." He sighed. "I have my original plans for the array, but I doubt I can figure out what went wrong from my notes alone. I'm sorry, Hawkeye."

"Sir?"

Mustang sighed again. "I shouldn't have--"

They both froze at the sound of footsteps on the pavement. Mustang slipped on his gloves as her fingers inched towards her gun. They waited.

"Damn it, Knott, you've lost him."

"You're the one who lost him. Mister Malfoy wants to know where their headquarters is sooner rather than later, and we both know that the red headed muggle lovers are in on it."

Mustang nodded, and they took positions on either side of the alley. Two figures in odd robes appeared at the entrance.

"I still think it's the other alley. Hurry up. I want to get away from all these muggles as soon as possible."

Both men were holding sticks out in front of in front of them. Riza frowned. What in the world did they think they were doing? The taller one pointed his stick at the far end of the alley. Mustang shifted further into the shadows, and she heard the sound of cloth against the wall.

So did the other two men.

"Lumos!"

A silvery light filled the alley, and Hawkeye could now clearly see the two men. One pointed his stick at Roy, yelling, "Incendio!"

A jet a flame came barreling at them. Roy snapped. The two fires came together explosively, forcing Riza to shield her eyes. Something was wrong here. Her body felt funny and tingly. She could hear other voices now, yelling, but the world was going black again, and she couldn't fight the tide of darkness.


	4. Old Acquaintances

**Old Acquaintances**

He was on the ground again. This was beginning to be a habit. Roy blinked, trying to get his eyes to focus. The last thing he remembered was countering the fire that had been shot at him. There were more people in the alley now, but that didn't matter. Where was Hawkeye? He had to make sure she was safe. He attempted to sit up as he peered through the now crowded alley.

A flash of blond hair caught his eye. A familiar woman slumped against the wall across from him. But this wasn't the Riza he knew. The last time he had seen this girl was a decade ago when he left his teacher's home the first time. The only thing that hadn't changed was her eyes. They still held the look of one who has seen far too much in their life. Those mahogany orbs met his, and suddenly she was moving.

Roy scrambled to his feet in time to catch her. Her arms went around him, holding tight, and he could tell that she was doing her best not to panic. He could understand that. She looked seventeen years old again. And given the way she was staring at him, Roy had the sinking feeling that he too was looking younger than his true age.

There were other people trying to speak to them, but Roy's focus was narrowed to the woman in his arms. She ways doing her best to stay calm, but he knew Hawkeye well enough to know she was close to panicking. Their lives in the military had never been what one would call normal, but this whole experience was far enough out of the normal weirdness of their life that it was unsettling her. The only reason he wasn't panicking himself was he had Hawkeye to focus on.

"Calm down, Hawkeye. It's going to be all right." He didn't know that for sure, but he'd do his damn best to make sure she at least was safe. "We can do this."

She took several deep breaths. "The scars are gone. It's complete."

That explained part of her worry. The sum of her father's research was dangerous, and before he had scarred her, it could have been used to turn her into a living weapon. Riza might be extremely deadly on her own, but that was by her choice. Her father's array could and would take any choice on her part out of the question if used.

Roy took a deep breath. "We'll deal with it. First, we need to figure what happened."

Hawkeye nodded. She slid from his arms to take up her normal position at his side. The others in the alley were watching them. They too were dressed in odd robes. The one of the taller men with a beard stepped toward them.

"You seem to have found yourself some trouble, children." The man gave them a kindly smile.

Roy bristled at being referred to as a child, and that smile didn't make him any likelier to trust the stranger.

"And just who are you?"

There were frowns and odd glances among the others in the alley.

"I'm Albus Dumbledore, and I think we may want to move this conversation to a more private location."


	5. Explanations and Negotiations

**Explanations and Negotiations**

Roy was doing his very best not to loose his temper. These people were clearly in need of serious psychiatric help. At least he had the answers to some of his questions. He and Hawkeye were currently in London, the capital of Britain. Roy had never heard of the country before, but at least they knew where they were. On the downside, these people who had found them were clearly insane, and the fact that he and Riza looked approximately seventeen years old wasn't helping things.

Especially since they were currently convinced that he and Hawkeye were not only seventeen but in need of supervision. Or at least that Roy was in need of supervision. They didn't seem to care about Riza one way or another. They had brought the two of them to an old house somewhere in a residential part of the city and were currently arguing over what to do with Roy. Apparently, there was some school they wanted to send him to.

"Excuse me."

Dumbledore and the man he was arguing with stopped to look at him. Roy slid his arm from around Riza's shoulders and considered his words carefully. "I have not agreed to any of this yet, and I'm not going to until I get some answers. Both Hawkeye and I are perfectly capable of caring for ourselves. I thank you for your hospitality, but I think we will be on our way."

Dumbledore frowned. "I'm afraid you don't understand your position. The Death Eaters will want to know how you managed to managed to injure two of their people without even raising a wand. Hogwarts is the only safe place for you."

Roy bit the inside of his mouth to keep from yelling at the man and replied as calmly as he could. "You have no idea who we are or what we are capable of. Unless we get some answers, we are--"

A vase shattered. Roy blinked. What in the world had caused that? The others in the room seemed just as startled. A rail thin man who reminded him too much of Ishbal whispered in Dumbledore's ear. Hawkeye shifted at his side, ready for a fight should one arise. Dumbledore was frowning and consulting with a few other people. Maybe they were finally going to get some answers.

"Would you accept a compromise? We will give you a full explanation of the situation in return for you attending Hogwarts for the time being. We will cover any school expenses you have and will keep you updated of the situation while you are there." Dumbledore offered.

"Us. Where I go, Hawkeye goes. That is not negotiable." There was no way in hell he was letting them separate him from her. "Any agreement we make will have to understand that."

The dark haired man with a large nose frowned. "I don't see why. It's not like she'll be of interest to them any more than any other muggle. Your talent is clear given the vase. Why you haven't received any instruction at your age is beyond me."

Roy frowned. That implied that he had caused the vase to shatter. He'd worry about that later. "I don't care. Either she goes with me, or we both leave."

"Why?" That came from the man who reminded him of Ishbal.

"Because that is the way we work," Hawkeye spoke for the first time, her voice firm. "You either deal with both of us or you deal with neither of us."

Dumbledore looked between them then sighed in defeat. "Agreed."


	6. A Moment's Peace

**A Moment's Peace**

Riza sighed and closed her eyes as she sank onto her bed in the room she and Mustang had been assigned. The redheaded woman, Mrs. Weasly, hadn't been happy about their insistence on sharing a room, but she had been overruled. The past few days had been hectic. With their agreement to attend Hogwarts, the two military officers had been thrown into preparations that they hardly understood. Well, Roy was. She was mostly ignored by the adults.

At least they had an idea about the situation they found themselves in. Apparently, these wizards, as they called themselves, were in the middle of a war or at least the start of a war. As far as she and Roy could tell, the major issue was one group believed in keeping pure bloodlines while the other, the one they were stuck with, accepted any individual with magical talent. There was also some very powerful wizard behind the pureblood movement that believed and seemingly delighted in killing and torture. She could see why this group was against that.

Still, their entire strategy was based on having a fifteen year old fight one of the most powerful wizards in existence, and Riza had grave doubts that it was feasible. Especially since they were keeping the kid in the dark as much as possible on the subject. But their war wasn't really her problem. Her problem was keeping her colonel and herself in one piece, so they could get back to Amestris.

The bed dipped with additional weight, and a warm body settled against her.

"Are you awake, Hawkeye?"

She didn't bother opening her eyes. "Yes, sir."

There was a frown in his voice. "I think you're going to need to stop calling me that. At least for the time being. These people aren't going to understand or believe us if we tell them the whole story, and I'm not sure it would be wise to do so."

"Yes, sir."

He sighed and started playing with her hair. They had spent the day with Mrs. Weasly doing the shopping for all of the students in the household as well as their own supplies. A long day of moving from one store to another. The man who looked like he had been through Ishbal, Sirius Black if she remembered correctly, had offered to pay for any supplies that she and Roy would need. Most of the things they bought were for Roy, including a wand, but she had walked away with school robes and a cache of arts supplies and books to keep her entertained. Unfortunately, there was no where for her to get spare ammunition for her weapons, not that she had broached the subject with any of the wizards, but she had enough on her unless there was a major firefight.

They were alone in a foreign land, caught in a war they knew next to nothing about, and the people who had offered them any help were weird even by an alchemist's standards. But what else could they do? Roy was certain that getting them home would take some rather extensive research, and the library at a school for wizards was as good a place to start as any.

Roy's arm crept around her waist, and he tucked his face against the back of her neck.

"Stop worrying, Hawkeye," he mumbled. "I'm trying to take a nap. That's an order, by the way."

Riza smiled and let the sound of his heartbeat lull her to sleep.


	7. This Train

**This Train**

Roy sighed as he stared out the window. They were now on their way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he didn't know what to expect. Riza was half-asleep, leaning against his shoulder, and the other occupants of their compartment had disappeared earlier. He liked the peace and quiet, but right now the time to think was giving him a headache.

He was in over his head. His mistake had gotten them into this, and now they were heading into the unknown, and he honestly didn't know if he could get the two of them home. At least it wasn't completely unknown. Roy had sat down the two most helpful of the wizards, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, for a crash course in what to expect at Hogwarts. The only good thing about being sent to this school as far as he could tell was the fact that it had an extensive magical library. He just might be able to find something to get them home.

"Who are you?" A voice sneered from the doorway. "I don't remember seeing you before."

Hawkeye's head lifted off his shoulder, and Roy turned to observe an arrogant young man is school robes.

"Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye." He stuck to the story Lupin and Black had put together for him. "We're transfer students."

"From where?"

"Amestris. You won't have heard of us. And you are?" Roy was glad he had plenty of experience dealing with arrogant young men; otherwise he would probably be reacting like Fullmetal right now.

"Draco Malfoy." He looked them over. "I do hope that you both are pureblooded. We have enough mudbloods running around as it is."

Thankfully, Black and Lupin had fully prepared him for this sort of query. Roy lifted his chin. "Let's just say that my family has been people of note for a number of generations in our homeland."

"What about her?"

Riza bristled. Roy just sighed. "Hawkeye is my teacher's daughter. He had a formidable reputation in our country before his death."

Malfoy nodded. "Good. I hope you will understand better the way things around here work than some of the Muggle lovers."

With that he swept out of their compartment. Roy just shook his head. Riza sighed and muttered something about seeing what a bullet in his ass would to that attitude of his. Roy laughed. He had a feeling that even Hawkeye's patience would be tested by this school they were being sent to. The only good thing about all this was he didn't have to worry about the military higher ups watching his every move.

With that in mind, Roy kissed the top of Riza head. "Get used to it, Hawkeye. I have a feeling that this train is bound for crazy."

She sighed again. "I don't suppose we could get off early. No?"

He shook his head. "We're stuck with the asylum for now. On the bright side, if the school is big enough we might actually meet some one sane. Maybe they could get us a lift home."


	8. School Starts

**School Starts**

Roy sighed as he and Riza followed behind the gaggle of first year students. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. They had made it to Hogwarts, and now he was to be sorted into a house. Lupin had explained something about a hat, but Roy couldn't really see how that worked. Riza squeezed his hand. He smiled and squeezed back.

After a damp lake crossing, Professor McGonagall ushered the group towards the main hall. Roy and Riza followed behind the younger students. Roy would admit that it was an impressive building. The school was much larger than he had expected. He noticed Hawkeye frowning; she was probably trying to map out escape plans in case they needed them. They would have to see if they could get a map of the place.

They were led out into a grand hall full of the rest of the students, his and Riza's presence clearly causing whispers. They waited patiently as each of the new students' names was called and had a turn to wear the battered old hat. Roy raised an eyebrow at the talking hat, but he supposed there were stranger things. Finally, all the first year students were done. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll.

"We have a new student joining us this year. Mister Mustang is a transfer student from the country of Amestris. He and his companion will be joining the seventh years. I trust you will make them welcome. Mister Mustang, if you please?"

Roy came forward and seated himself on the stool. The hat was placed on his head, and a small voice whispered in his ear.

"I don't think I've ever come across a case like you. You don't rightly belong here at all. Still, a brilliant mind and determination to succeed would have you do well in Ravenclaw, but that sneakiness and ability to plot belongs in Slythrin. Ah, that unshakable loyalty though that puts you squarely in GRYFFINDOR!"

Roy returned the hat to Professor McGonagall and made his way to the Gryffindor table with Riza trailing behind. He recognized some of the students from his time at Grimmauld Place. At least there would be some familiar faces around. He and Riza found seats at the table and waited through the speeches for dinner. Roy shared a concerned look with Riza over Umbridge's speech. There was clearly more going on here than Dumbledore had told them, and they would have to be careful about their actions around Umbridge.

The meal finally ended, and they followed the rest of the Gryffindors to the tower where he assumed they'd be staying. All Roy wanted at this point was his bed. He, and to a lesser extent Riza, had spent the entire meal fending off questions from the other students. Arriving at the Gryffindor common room, he was faced with the realization that boys and girls had separate dormitories. Riza wouldn't be within yelling distance of him anymore.

As usual she seemed to be reading his mind. She took his hand in her and squeezed it.

"We'll give it a try, sir. If worst comes to worst, we can either camp out in the common room. Either that or find a way to get someone of the opposite sex into the other's dorm."

He nodded, fighting back a yawn. "You're right. Good night, Hawkeye."

"Good night, sir."

Roy trudged up the stairs to his new home for the time being. He had gotten through today. Next on the list was tomorrow and finding the library. Hopefully, it would have something that could help them get home. With a sigh he fell into bed and dreams of the familiar office routine and his golden haired lieutenant.


	9. Daily Routine

**Daily Routine**

Attending Hogwarts wasn't that different than working in the office back in Amestris. Perhaps the content of the daily routines had changed, but there was still a routine. She typically woke early, at least before any of the other girls, and made her way down to the common room. She and Roy were usually the first people in Gryffindor up and the first to breakfast. It gave them a chance to talk without having to worry about eavesdropping by the other students.

Breakfast was followed by Roy's classes. She sat in on most of them even if she couldn't really participate. It was a good way of observing the rest of the students. Most of them never noticed her anyway, and if there ever was a problem, it would come in useful to know the habits, behaviors, and attitudes of the other students. The teacher's for the most part ignored her as well though Professor McGonagall and surprisingly Professor Snape both were fairly friendly towards her. The only class she did not attend with Roy was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Neither of them had wanted to attract Umbridge's attention or tempt fate.

Lunch was followed by more classes. Most of their free time was spent in the Hogwarts library. The research was progressing slowly but surely. Roy had set aside a couple books for further reading, but at this point they were mostly working their way through any books that looked related to the subjects of alchemy and transdimensional portals and eliminating anything that clearly would not be of use.

It wasn't a particularly interesting life. Both of them still got random questions about why they were at Hogwarts and where they were from, but for the most part, the other students ignored them. Or at least, they ignored Riza. The female population had taken an interest in Roy. Riza couldn't really blame them, but he was taken, thank you very much. Of course, there wasn't the need to protect his reputation as a playboy here, and he had informed anyone who asked him out that he wasn't available.

No, her major issue was with her own irritation, both with the other students and with the whole situation. It was hard acting like a teenager when she wasn't one, and the military had gotten her used to a certain level of order and organization that was impossible to find with most teenagers. She missed her routine back home. Umbridge was also beginning to trouble both herself and Roy. Roy had been careful not to be singled out by here, but her treatment of other students as it was would be enough to get her fired from a school in Amestris. It would be fairly easy for her to start a campaign against the two of them just as she had against Harry Potter.

There was really nothing they could about that right now though. The only course of action that Riza could see was continuing with their research. Until they could figure out what had gone wrong, they would be stuck her. With a sigh, Riza reached for another book off her stack. Roy looked up from his own book and gave her a smile.

"We can take a break when you're done with that one, Hawkeye. I bet we could convince the House Elves to give some hot chocolate."

She nodded. "All right."

Riza went back to her book with renewed determination. Chocolate wasn't much of a comfort given the severity of their situation, but it would get her through today. Roy reached over and squeezed her hand. At least she wasn't stuck here alone.


	10. Bridging a Gap

**Bridging a Gap**

Riza did not like the way things were going. Umbridge was clearly a danger to her students, and the Wizarding government just gave her more and more power. Riza had not been oblivious to Harry's punishments at her hands nor to the general fear and unease that the woman caused in the other students. She wouldn't be surprised if there had been other students suffering the same punishment. And it was beginning to really anger her. There were too many parallels between Umbridge's abuse of power and what had been going on in Amestris.

Which was probably why she took the action she did. Riza had been curled up in a chair in the common room when Harry came in from yet another detention, clutching his hand. And she had had enough.

"Come here, Harry."

He looked up startled. He knew who she was, of course, but they didn't really interact much. Riza smiled, reaching for her messenger bag.

"I don't bite."

Harry reluctantly came over to her, and Riza retrieved a small jar from her bag. She had convinced Lupin to take her to a drugstore before they had left for school, and she was grateful for that now. Capturing his hand, Riza frowned at the red markings. This was not right. Thankfully, Riza was very used to patching people up when they needed it. Harry watched in something like awe as she smeared the antibacterial ointment over the injury and neatly bandaged it.

"You've done this before."

Riza laughed. "You have no idea how much I have spent patching up boys like you."

"And she always had gentler hands than the nurses."

She looked back to smile at Roy who had come up behind them and was leaning on the back of her chair. "You should know. Nine times out of ten it was you who were injured."

Roy brushed the bangs out of her eyes. "I knew I didn't have to worry with you around."

Harry was looking between them. "There's more to you two than Dumbledore said. Isn't there?"

She shared a look with Roy. He was the one who answered.

"I can't really say as I don't know what Dumbledore has told you." Roy ran a hand through his hair. "A truthful statement would be there is more to us than we have told Dumbledore."

"Huh."

Riza patted his hand. "Let me know if you have detention again, or if anyone else does."

Harry nodded and headed off to his dorm. She and Roy shared another look.

"Something needs to be done about that Umbridge woman."

Roy looked concerned. "You're not planning anything, are you? As much as this bothers me, I'm not sure we can do anything right now without putting ourselves in serious trouble."

She gave him a look.

Roy sighed. "Right. I know. You wouldn't do anything without thinking it through first."

It was her turn to sigh. "I just think we need to keep it in mind."


	11. Territorial Disputes

**Territorial Disputes**

Riza had a problem. Well, besides the fact that she currently looked seventeen and was in another dimension. No, her newest problem was the fact that Draco Malfoy had decided he was interested in her. Romantically interested in her. And despite the fact that Riza was clearly involved with Roy, Malfoy had started pursuing her.

It was getting irritating. The boy wouldn't take no for an answer. She had tried a polite refusal. She had tried to ignore him. She had avoided him. She had told him in very blunt terms that she was already taken and she was not interested. Nothing had worked.

She hadn't told Roy. He didn't need the added stress, and Riza knew him well enough to know that he would overreact. For all that they maintained a mostly professional relationship in public, Roy tended to be very protective of her, especially when it came to men taking an interest in her. Besides, they didn't need to be causing trouble here at Hogwarts.

Still, Riza was supremely frustrated. She just wanted to be left alone. She didn't need romantic complications right now. Or ever actually. Riza had the only man she ever wanted, and she want need to deal with teenaged boys with adolescent crushes. So when Malfoy approached her on the way back from the library she was less than polite.

"Miss Hawkeye, would you care to join on the next Hogsmeade trip?"

"How many times have I told you no? The answer is not going to change. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Malfoy grabbed her wrist. "Not this time. You're not leaving until you agree to go out with me."

She reacted. Riza hadn't spent her adult life in the military without learning how to deal with unwanted attention. The next thing Malfoy knew, he was slammed into the wall.

"You are going to leave me alone," she hissed. "I am sick and tired of this. The next time you so much as try and touch me, there will be broken bones. And you are not going to report this to anyone, got it? Do you understand?"

He nodded. Riza let go and gathered up her things.

"I trust we won't have to discuss this again?"

"Riza!" Roy came running down the hall. "Do you have that book on advanced alchemy? The one with the red cover? I need to check something in it."

Riza raised an eyebrow at Malfoy as she pulled the book out of her stack. Malfoy nodded and then vamoosed. Roy took the book.

"What was that about?"

She shrugged. "Just clearing a few things up. What have you found?"

As he began to explain, Riza slipped her hand into his with a smile. If Malfoy didn't take her seriously, maybe she would let him set the little prick on fire.


	12. Aiding and Abetting

**Aiding and Abetting**

Harry wrung his hands. He had some doubts about this plan, but he knew that this could help Dumbledore's Army. Mustang and Hawkeye were clearly more experienced than the rest of them, and neither of them liked Umbridge very much. Harry hoped that they could teach him and the others some things that weren't in the text books. They needed every edge they could get, and he had a feeling that these two could give them that.

Of course, it was also a risk on his part. Neither Mustang nor Hawkeye knew about Dumbledore's Army. Harry doubted they were about to run off and tell Umbridge about it, but they were outsiders. And that was why he hadn't told Ron and Hermione he was doing this. Carefully, he approached the two older students who were bent over a book beside the fire.

"Excuse me, I, um, have a favor to ask."

They both looked up, but it was Mustang who spoke. "What can we do for you, Harry?"

"You know how Umbridge isn't teaching us any practical skills in class, and since Voldemort is out there, some of us have formed a secret study group. I was hoping that you two might be able to show us a few things." Harry held his breath.

The two shared one of their looks. If he didn't know better, Harry would swear those two were telepathic or something. They seemed to communicate more without words than with.

"Why do you want us to teach your group?"

Harry bit his bit. "Voldemort is out there, and you two clearly know a thing or two about protecting yourselves. All we really have to go on right now is my past experiences. I mean, I survived, but that was in part due to luck. We need to be ready next time."

Mustang reached for Hawkeye's hand. "And you understand the risks you are taking?"

"We all do. We decided that it would be worse to have to face the Death Eaters unprepared."

A sigh escaped from Mustang. "All right. There are a few conditions though. We have complete control of the lesson, and you tell no one, not even Dumbledore, of our involvement."

"Deal."

Mustang and Hawkeye shared another look. "Just tell us when and where."


	13. Practical Lessons

**Practical Lessons**

Roy fought the urge to pace. He and Riza were the only ones there other than Granger and Weasley. They had wanted to be early to get a sense of the space. The rest of Dumbledore's Army along with Harry had yet to arrive. He had a feeling that no one was expecting the lesson he and Riza had put together. Both of the officers respected these children's determination to be able to face what they knew was coming, but they still were children, and they really hadn't been exposed to the worst of what humanity could do.

He and Riza would do their best to help them be ready. They knew too well what could happen when people were thrown into a situation they were unprepared for. Even so, Roy had his concerns. He knew that this war was coming to these children no matter what he did, but it still bothered him to be training children for war. Riza's hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts.

"They're all here."

Nodding, Roy stepped forward. "All right. Harry has asked Hawkeye and I to teach you some of what we know. We're not going to teach you any spells."

There were murmurs of surprise and protest at that. Roy just continued.

"You all are better acquainted with magic than I am. What Hawkeye and I can do is teach you a few things that will keep you alive. Can I have a volunteer?"

They were puzzled, but Weasley stepped forward. Roy motioned to Hawkeye. "I want you to attack Hawkeye. Any spell will do."

Weasley looked concerned but raised his wand. The next thing he knew, his legs had been knocked out from under him, and Hawkeye was restraining his wand arm, the wand already on the floor.

"You weren't expecting that, were you?" Roy motioned to Hawkeye to release him and helped Weasley to his feet. "For the most part, you enemies need a wand and a complete incantation to attack you, and they don't seem to consider a physical attack as a possibility. We're going to show you how to disarm an opponent as well as how to disrupt their concentration."

Roy smiled grimly as he surveyed the young faces in front of him. "Let's get to work."


	14. Peaceful Sleep

**Peaceful Sleep**

Hermione covered her mouth. She didn't know whether to scream or sigh. Boys were not allowed in the girls' dorm. None the less, Roy Mustang was curled up in bed with Riza Hawkeye, both dead to the world. Hermione had come up to see if the young woman wanted to join herself and some of the other girls for a study and gossip session. Instead, she found the blond fast asleep with Mustang wrapped around her like a quilt.

She would admit they were adorable together. Hermione was not oblivious to the way those two looked at each other or how they seemed to communicate with one another in touches and glances. Neither Mustang nor Hawkeye had been very forthcoming about their previous circumstances or what exactly their relationship to each other was, and Hermione hadn't pried. She hadn't really thought much about them until they had started helping out with Dumbledore's Army.

But now that she had started paying attention to the two of them, Hermione couldn't help but notice how the pair acted like a couple, just without displays of affection. At least in public. In the few minutes like this when she caught them alone together, Hermione found they resembled a happily married couple more than anything else. They were really quite sweet together.

Mustang whimpered in his sleep. Hawkeye shifted slightly, pressing more closely against him, and the whimpers ceased, Mustang settling back into a peaceful sleep. Hermione sighed. They really were too sweet to disrupt. She let the bed curtains fall back into place, hiding the couple, and quietly slipped out of the room. There'd be other chances to try and get to know Hawkeye, and those two deserved a rest after all the work they'd been putting in for Dumbledore's Army.


	15. A Winter Celebration

**A Winter Celebration**

Riza figured she was going to have to simply bite the bullet. Everyone was in a buzz over this Christmas thing, and she had no clue what it was. Apparently, they got a holiday from school because of it, but other than that she was at a loss. Thankfully, with their participation in Dumbledore's Army, she had found that the other students were a little more willing to hold a conversation with her. Riza slid into a seat beside Hermione with a smile.

"I had a question if you don't mind."

The younger girl looked up from her book. "Sure. What's up?"

"I was wondering about this Christmas holiday that was coming up. We don't have it at home."

Hermione blinked at her. "You don't have Christmas?"

"Not that I know of. What is it exactly?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Well, originally it was the celebration of the birth of Christ, but you don't have to be Christian to celebrate Christmas anymore. Typically, you get together with your family and celebrate and exchange gifts."

"Oh. Like Jültide on the winter solstice." Riza smiled. "Though I suppose that's more of a romantic holiday. Our major family holiday is Hoog Min Dag during the New Year."

Hermione nodded. "Anyway, we get time off from school and a lot of the students go home. Typically, Harry, Ron, and I stay, but I don't think that's going to happen this year. Not with Umbridge around. Did Dumbledore mention any plans for you and Mustang?"

"No," Riza shook her head. "My guess is that we'll either stay here or return to Grimmauld Place."

This Christmas thing had given her some ideas. Riza would be the first to admit that living here was not the easiest or the most enjoyable experience, but there was really nothing more that they could be doing right now. Unfortunately, Riza also knew that Roy didn't see it that way. He blamed himself for getting them both stuck in this situation, and he felt that he should be able to get them out of it as well. Adding Umbridge's tyranny to the mix hadn't helped either; it reminded them both too much of what was going on in their homeland. But this holiday might give them a chance to relax and not to worry for a little while. At least, Riza was pretty sure she could come up with something that would keep Roy distracted over their school break.


	16. Some Yuletide Fun

**Some Yuletide Fun**

"Come here a minute."

Riza held her hands out to him, and Roy let her draw him away from the celebrating witches and wizards. They had ended up back at Grimmauld Place for the Christmas holiday. Once again they were rather out of place with the rest. Roy would have actually preferred to stay at Hogwarts and keep investigating the library for any hint of what had gone wrong with the array that had sent them here, but with Umbridge lurking around, he had to agree that it might not be the best idea.

Still, it felt awkward being among all those celebrating a holiday he knew next to nothing about. Riza had insisted that he dress up some, so he was in a pair of black slacks and a white button up shirt, but he really didn't see the point. His thoughts were brought back to the moment by the sound of Riza shutting the door behind them. Roy got a good look at the room. It was clean which was surprising in this house, and there was only a fireplace, no furniture what so ever.

"Would you start the fire, please?" She smiled at him.

He did as she asked while she fussed with something in the corner. There was a soft click, and suddenly the room was filled with jazzy music. It wasn't anything familiar, but it was similar to what was popular at the nightclubs in Central these days. Riza shrugged out of her sweater to reveal the red dress. Holding out her hands once again, she grinned.

"Dance with me?"

"Always."

They spun around the room, swinging to the music. Roy held her close savoring the chance to just be with Riza. She rest her head on his shoulder.

"So what prompted this?"

Riza hummed a little, head still on his shoulder. "Christmas is supposed be a time to celebrate family and love. You're both for me."

Roy noticed she seemed to be steering him in a particular direction. He looked down to find a smirk playing about her lips.

"What are you up to now?"

The smirk grew. "Just another one of these people's silly traditions. Apparently when two people stand under the mistletoe, they have to kiss."

Roy smirked back and dipped her for a kiss. "All you had to do was ask."


	17. One Last Straw

**One Last Straw**

Riza Hawkeye was known for her calm personality. She could be counted on to be calm under fire and in almost every situation. Very few people had ever seen her really lose her temper. That number was about to go up. Her back straightened and her hand hovered by her hidden firearm. The student beside her cringed, but it wasn't due to fear of her. No, that honor went to Umbridge. Riza had rounded the corner to find the new Headmistress terrorizes a first year. The poor girl had been near tears. It was bad enough that Umbridge went after Harry the way she did, but this child had mostly likely done nothing, and Riza had had enough.

"Excuse me, Headmistress, but I think Miss Zeller needs to see Madam Pomfrey. She doesn't look at all well."

Umbridge's attention swung to Riza. She stood her ground.

"I don't believe I remember your name, miss."

"Riza Hawkeye."

"Ah yes. Mister Mustang's companion was it? I have been curious, what exactly does he need a companion for? You clearly aren't a witch. In fact, I'm not sure why you're here at all."

Riza met her eyes calmly. "I am his companion because we are all each other has. He would not agree to attend Hogwarts unless I came with him."

"So you really don't belong here then. I shall have to do something about this you understand, Miss Hawkeye. I can't have someone who isn't a student running around disrupting the learning environment."

She did not back down. Riza had been threatened by far more formidable threats than Umbridge. The woman might be able to dominate most of the people at this school, but Riza had been through far worse in her life.

"You do realize that if you force me to leave Hogwarts, that Mustang will do so as well."

"He can't do that. Not unless he wants to give up magic for good." Umbridge looked triumphant. "You can't believe he'll choose you over that."

Riza simply smiled. Umbridge would not understand what bound herself and Roy, and she would not believe anything Riza said to explain it.

"Now, I suppose that I could make an exception in your case if you would just tell me what exactly has been going on in Gryffindor." Umbridge's voice was sweet. "It would be very much to your benefit."

Riza narrowed her eyes and smiled, showing her teeth. "I highly doubt that."


	18. Clues Found

**Clues Found**

Roy reminded himself that running down the halls was not a good idea. For one, this place had a tendency to move things around on you. For another, the rest of the school didn't need to know that he'd quite possibly found the cause of his alchemic array going awry and sending himself and Hawkeye to this ridiculous dimension. Riza did need to know, but he could handle that calmly even if he was excited. The teenagers were clearly rubbing off on him.

Still, if he was right about this information, there was a chance that he could get them home before too long. The fact that it had been buried in the library archives and misfiled explained why they hadn't come across this text before. Roy would take government conspiracies and cover-ups over evil wizards bent on world domination any day. At least at home there was something he could do about things. Besides, Roy was really sick of being stuck as a teenager. He liked being grown up for the most part.

He rounded a corner to find raised voices. Or at least, Umbridge's voice was raised. Hawkeye's was a familiar flat tone that indicated she was furious. This did not bode well for anyone. As the scene came into sight, Roy winced. Hawkeye's fingers were hovering near her guns, and they had an audience. This was not a good situation. Riza would be tempted to fight back if Umbridge started something, but their precarious position here would cause her to hesitate perhaps a little to long. It would be very easy for this to get ugly.

He took a step forward, intending to interrupt the tableau before him, when Umbridge's hand lashed out first to strike Riza then to cast a spell that flung his lieutenant into a wall. And that was enough. Roy slid his gloves on and stepped between the two women.

"Enough."

Umbridge ignored him. Roy snapped. A small arc of flames danced into the air. That caught her attention. Roy moved so he blocked any line of fire towards Hawkeye.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

"Are you all right, Hawkeye?"

"Fine, sir." She had fallen back into their familiar patterns. "Just bruised."

"Good." His eyes narrowed. "Professor Umbridge, I would appreciate it if you did not attack my companion. I don't think any of us would be pleased with the consequences."

"And just what do you think you can do about it, Mister Mustang? This woman shouldn't even be here in the first place. And you know quite well that spells are not allowed outside of the classroom."

Roy felt more than heard Hawkeye rise to her feet and take her accustomed place just behind him. He had no doubt that she had her guns in hand. He smirked. "It wasn't a spell."

"What?"

He snapped again, this time producing a large burst of flame. "It's not a spell. Let me assure you that I am not about to let your bullying succeed with me or mine."

Umbridge looked taken aback before her face shifted to rage. "Mister Mustang, do you realize the serious trouble you are getting yourself into? I don't know how things were run at your former school, but here you are subject to the rules of this institution."

Roy bit back the urge to laugh. He was already walking a thin line here. "You mean your rules. I somehow doubt that the punishment of students by carving messages into their hands has always been a Hogwarts rule. I don't know why no one has put a stop to you before now, but I will not tolerate your abuse."

Before Umbridge could try anything else, Roy decided a show of force was needed. He snapped one more time, setting the book she was carrying ablaze. Umbridge dropped it, startled, and watched it burn. Roy raised his hand, drawing her attention once again.

"Next time it will be your wand. Good day, Professor."

He turned, his senses still on alert for an attack. Hawkeye met his eyes for a long moment and nodded before taking her place at his side. As they headed towards Gryffindor tower, with a rather stunned audience watching, he leaned to whisper in her ear.

"I think I know what went wrong. I found this book…"

* * *


	19. Aid in Troubled Times

**Aid in Troubled Times**

Roy sighed and pulled Riza a little closer. After their little encounter with Umbridge, it seemed safer to keep a low profile. So the pair was currently curled up in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. He had been going over the text he'd found in the library. It was helpful, but unfortunately, Roy had come to an impasse with the research. He knew why they had ended up here, but it wouldn't necessarily help them get home. Nor would it help him get the two of them back to their proper ages.

Still, it was a start, and it would give him something to work off of rather than fumbling around blindly. Roy rest his chin on Riza's shoulder. Things were certainly getting more and more out of control here at Hogwarts. The Wizarding world was remarkably unstable, and it seemed liable to erupt in chaos at any time. He wanted to keep well out of that. He had enough problems without adding political upheaval and turmoil to them. Besides, he wasn't about to be pulled into fixing another governmental mess. He had enough to do back at home.

At least it provided some entertainment. The constant conflict between the students and Umbridge could be quite entertaining at times. And thankfully, the departure of the Weasley twins had completely overshadowed his and Riza's little spat with Umbridge for the time being. Unfortunately, Riza's services as a nurse and comforter of those who had been terrorized by that woman. After treating Harry earlier in the year, Riza had quickly turned into the "mother" of Gryffindor. It didn't surprise Roy that much. The Elric boys had reacted much the same way to her.

Things were not going especially well for the students since the Weasely twins had left. Oh, there had been all sorts of successful pranks against Umbridge and her minions, but Roy knew enough of war to know that these were simply minor skirmishes whose victories meant little in the long run. They would only serve to increase Umbridge's determination to squash resistance. Though the pranks did give a boost to the students' moral, and that was a good thing. Roy sighed again.

Riza shifted in arms. "Would you stop that? Sighing isn't going to solve anything, and it's beginning to annoy me."

He ran his fingers through her hair. "There's no one to bounce ideas off of. No offense, Hawkeye, but for all of your knowledge of alchemy, you're not an alchemist. It's not quite the same."

She smiled. "I wouldn't want to be an alchemist. What do you want the Elric brothers here to lend a hand?"

Roy groaned at that thought. "Don't tempt fate. Please. That's just what we need: Fullmetal and Alphonse bringing their own special brand of chaos to this place. Either they'd do Voldemort's work for him and destroy the school or somehow manage to utterly disrupt the government. And give me a headache."

Laughing, Riza leaned back against him. "And how is that any different from what you're planning to do back home? Or what we've done here for that matter?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione's entrance interrupted the discussion. They looked utterly drained, most likely due to their studying for the upcoming O.W.L.s. The trio slumped onto the furniture. Hermione opened her mouth to say something, and Roy felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. Riza was now sitting bolt upright, reaching for her gun. The fire crackled and shifted. Roy frowned as it seemed to expand and grow grey in the middle. This was not how fire behaved.

Something tumbled out of the grey space in the fire followed by another and another. As the fire diminished and returned to its normal size and color, Roy found him staring at two familiar blonds and one whom he could guess the identity of. Fullmetal looked around.

"Colonel?" He stared in disbelief.

Winry and Alphonse also stared, clearly not recognizing the pair in front of them. Roy groaned and buried his head in his hands. Riza just laughed, though it was a tad hysterically. They just had to tempt fate.


	20. Stressful Situations

**Stressful Situations**

Roy wondered if banging his head against a wall would help his headache any. It certainly couldn't make it worse. Things had been bad enough before. He and Hawkeye had been stuck in an alternate universe in the bodies of their younger selves. It had been bad but manageable. Now they also had the Elric brothers and Winry Rockbell to take care of as well. And they hadn't even had the decency to arrive in a way that wouldn't attract attention. No, instead they had arrived right in front of the golden trio. At least Ron, Hermione, and Harry were being helpful about all this.

The biggest issue was keeping their arrival out of the public information. Roy wasn't about to let Umbridge anywhere near these three. Edward could end up killing her. Not that Roy would mind that exactly, but he didn't think Fullmetal was really ready for that sort of thing. Besides, Roy would rather see that woman punished by her own system than dead. It would be nice for her to get a taste of her own medicine. Still, that meant that figuring out what exactly to do with the three of them.

Currently, Harry had convinced the house elves to hide the Elrics and Winry, so they were safely out of sight. But they wouldn't be able to keep up the charade forever. It also didn't help that Fullmetal was clearly skeptical of the explanation that Roy had provided about where they were and what was going on. Roy was seriously considering letting the Gryffindors use Fullmetal for practice their O.W.L.s.

The O.W.L.s were actually proving rather useful. Most people were busy either studying for them or busy avoiding the stressed out students studying for them. Dressed in student robes, Winry, Ed, and Al blended right in. The teachers too were caught up in the general craziness, and so far, they hadn't noticed the extra students wandering around. Roy was still on pins and needles. It wouldn't take much for everything here to explode. He only hoped that it would be events in the Wizarding World that sparked the explosion rather than something one of his crew did.

Roy knew he'd have lost it already if it weren't for Hawkeye. She was his one oasis of calm. Despite the general craziness of this place they called a school and the more specific craziness of the Elrics, Riza remained her normal serene self. The fact that she treated most of this as if it were their normal routine gave him a sense of balance. Now if he could only get home, he might even promise her he'd do his all his paperwork in thanks.


	21. Fools Rush In

**Fools Rush In**

These children were going to get themselves killed. Riza was thankful that life in the military meant she could be ready for a fight in the matter of minutes. There was no way to talk Harry out of this harebrained scheme, but at least they could keep the children from getting too many people killed. She let out a sigh. Truth be told, neither her nor Roy's conscious would let them have these children face their enemies alone. Which meant they were going along with the harebrained scheme.

It also meant that she needed to stop thinking and get moving. Riza made one last check to make sure she had all her ammunition before heading out the door. Harry wasn't going to like the fact that he was taking a group with him, but neither his friends nor the Amestrans were about let him go on his own. The group assembled down at the edge of the forest. Many of Harry's friends bore marks of their recent battles with Umbridge and her minions.

There was arguing which Riza ignored. Roy and Ed would make any points that needed to be made much more eloquently than she could. Thankfully, the argument ended quickly with Harry finally accepting help, and she found herself clutching Roy as their Thestral sped through the sky. This was clearly insane. They had no plan, no solid intelligence, and no backup. On the bright side, this always seemed to work for the Elric brothers, so maybe they had a chance. Riza held on tight and hoped they weren't rushing off to their deaths.


	22. Winning Battles

**Winning Battles**

Roy caught Hawkeye's nod in the dim light and eased around the corner and snapped, creating a flame just big enough to attract their target's attention. The Death Eater whirled around only to be taken out by Riza's shot. When things had gone south, Roy had order Ed and Al to take Winry and try and get out with as many of the Hogwarts students as they could. Hawkeye and himself would cover their retreat.

The plan wasn't exactly working, but it was giving the children a better chance than they would have without it. The Death Eaters' ranks were thinning, but they were still outnumbered. He hoped that the children would make it out all right. For all that they were stubborn and foolish, they did have good intentions. They were likely to get themselves killed one of these days, but they weren't that different from Elrics.

The pair relied on the sounds they heard and their instincts for most of their guidance. There wasn't really enough light around to follow shadows. Roy knew that they were fighting a loosing battle. Their enemies knew the layout better, and there were more of them. When it became clear that some of the others had been captured, they really had no choice but to see what they could do. It didn't take much to follow behind the Death Eaters.

He met Hawkeye's eyes as they eavesdropped on the Death Eaters. It confirmed the thought that these people were absolutely insane. As things quickly degenerated, Roy fought his way towards Harry as Riza worked to free some of the other students. The Elrics were holding their own thank goodness, and he didn't see Winry anywhere. She must have made it out; otherwise, Fullmetal would be foaming at the mouth. There was something about the stone arch in the room that kept pulling at Roy's attention, but this wasn't really the time to investigate that.

The arrival of reinforcements helped. When Black appeared, the odds started to even a little though not enough. But if Black was here, it meant the others in the Order of Phoenix knew what was going on. Roy was too busy keeping himself and Neville alive to really pay much attention to the while fight. It was only when he heard Bellatrix begin the killing curse that he caught sight of Harry and Black, both in her range. Roy cursed. He wouldn't be fast enough to stop it.

But the incantation never finished. Bellatrix hit the ground, a bullet through her forehead. Black moved away from the arch, hurrying to check on Harry. Roy's attention was caught by the Death Eater approaching Hawkeye from behind. He whirled snapping his fingers as he did. The Death Eater went up in flames as Hawkeye shouted a warning of her own, raising her gun. Roy turned as he felt something hit him, and the world went black once again.


	23. Passage Home

**Passage Home**

He woke to find a blond curled up beside him in the bed. Roy turned his head to study Hawkeye's sleeping face. There was a bruise across her cheek, but other than that she seemed fine. The last thing he remembered was the fight in the Department of Mysteries. Clearly, they had survived that since this was the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. His movement seemed to have disturbed Hawkeye as she made a sleepy little noise and opened her eyes.

"Roy?"

"Hey." He reached over to brush her bangs out of her face. "What happened?"

"You got hit by a stunning spell and then hit your head when you fell. You didn't really miss much. The battle was over shortly after that."

She moved to sit up. Roy wrapped an arm around her and leaned against the headboard.

"Everyone is fine. There were some minor injuries, but nothing major on our side. There have been some developments with the whole Order of Phoenix versus Voldemort issue, but that doesn't concern us. Ed thinks that he's found our way home. He and Al just waiting for you to double check their arrays and calculations."

"Using the arch?" He knew that was the key. The thing had been pulling at him since he saw it.

"Alchemists." She almost sounded annoyed with him. "Yes, with the arch. It looks like we'll have to sneak in to use it, but Black and Lupin have offered their services to help with that. The only remaining issue is how to put us back our proper ages."

He sighed. "I still don't know how to do that. I think it was caused by the interaction of the wizard's spell and my alchemy, but I have no idea how to replicate that or to reverse it."

Riza let out a sigh of her own. "We will deal. If worst comes to worst, at least you still won't beat out Edward for the title of youngest State Alchemist."

He kissed her temple. This could throw their plans out of order. It would definitely be harder to achieve his goals with the scrutiny their new appearance would cause. There was also the problem of her tattoo. Neither of them wanted it remain intact, but Roy wasn't sure he could bring himself to burn her once again. Hawkeye let him pull her closer as she continued.

"For all we know, simply going home will restore us. Edward and Alphonse both regained what they had lost when they arrived here. We should focus on getting back to Amestris. It has been almost a year now, and we won't know what will happen and what has happened until we go back. We can make plans from there."

She was right as usual. Getting home was their primary focus. There would be plenty of time to worry about their other problems later. So, the first order of business would be to see what Fullmetal had come up with. Roy swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

"Right then. Where's Fullmetal?"

The next week was spent pour over diagrams and planning their exit. The Ministry of Magic had tightened security on the Department of Secrets, but Black and Lupin were certain they could get them in. They were only going to have one shot at this though, so they would have to make it count. The goodbyes were thankfully brief. None of the connections any of them had made here were strong enough to cause any real grief or problems with their departure.

Feeling apprehensive, Roy stood in front of the arch and nodded to Edward. The array drawn around it flared to light, and the same pull that had brought them here could be felt. With his had wrapped tightly around Riza's, Roy was the first to step forward into the arch. Cold filled his limbs and now familiar blackness swallowed his consciousness once more even as he was thinking that this was getting to be a bad habit.


	24. No Place Like Home

**No Place Like Home**

Riza woke on the warehouse floor where this whole mess started. Roy was there beside her, and she could see a suit of armor as well as a pair of blond heads. There were all here. They were home. The warehouse seemed abandoned and fairly unchanged. She could see a scuffed array on the ground, but it was no longer complete. With a groan, Riza pulled got to her feet. Floors were not comfortable. She looked down and let out a sigh of relief. Roy looked to be about thirty. They were back to normal.

Roy let out a groan of his own, and she immediately knelt by his side.

"Sir?"

"Hawkeye?" He blinked at her. "Are we back to all that formality again?"

"We are home, sir."

And unfortunately, the informality they had shared while stuck at Hogwarts would have to be left there. It would no longer be safe to allow themselves even that small pleasure.

Mustang groaned but got to his fee. Looking around the room, he let out a sigh.

"I suppose we should wake them up." He glanced down at Fullmetal. "He's not going to let us hear the end of this you know."

Rousing Edward and company turned out to be more of task than Riza expected. But once everyone was awake, they all found themselves rather reluctant to venture back out into the city. Riza squeezed the colonel's hand. They had been gone for nearly a year, and while Edward had filed them in on some of events since their disappearance, there was still a lot they didn't know. None of them really knew what to expect. Still, they were back in their own world, and Riza doubted that the problems they had been working to solve had taken care of themselves while they were gone.

Meeting Roy's eyes, she nodded, and they dropped each other's hands. Roy made for the exit, and Riza took up her normal position following after him. They had work to do after all. The government wasn't going overthrow itself after all. It was time to get back to work.


End file.
